DOCSLIB.ORG

Unknown Reasons, the Cast of Les DECEMBER 198 7

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Unknown Reasons, the Cast of Les DECEMBER 198 7 Tilt GOOD- OLD DfliS fiPt 15fiCS the new format-even if most of theseCD player, this one promises to be that oflier conducted by Herbert von Karajan CDs are being offered at full price. Suchthe discs themselves-or, more precisely, and featuring Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, developments point unequivocally to thethe Christmas of the golden oldies. Christa Ludwig, and Teresa Stich -Randall medium's commercial success, a success Among the season's best greetings are a (CDCC 49354, three CDs). Accompany- that has come more quickly than the re-handful of classic opera recordings that ing it are the Schwarzkopf Capriccio, with cording industry expected. have been newly remastered for CD. Ludwig, Fischer-Dieskau, Nicolai Gedda, But for the dedicated discophile, it has Leading the list is the celebrated Furt- and Hans Hotter, conducted by Wolfgang seemed like an eternity. Until now, too wangler Tristan und Isolde from 1952, Sawallisch (CDCB 49014, two CDs); and many new recordings by second- or third- which has at long last been issued domesti- Karajan's magnificent stereo Salome, with rate interpreters have appeared automati- cally by Angel EMI (CDCD 47321, four Hildegard Behrens in the title role, joined cally on CD, while much that was first- CDs) after being available in Europe andby Agnes Baltsa, Jose Van Dam, and rate has slumbered in the vaults, awaitingJapan for more than a year. The cast-in- Wieslaw Ochman and accompanied by a the remastering producer's magic touch. cluding Ludwig Suthaus as Tristan and fired -up Vienna Philharmonic (CDCB Now at last, there is a steady stream of vin- Kirsten Flagstad as Isolde, both past their 49358, two CDs). tage stereo and golden -age mono record- prime, and the young Dietrich Fischer- Another top operatic offering is Colin ings appearing on the market, featuring Dieskau as Kurwenal, just short of his- Davis's superb account of Les Troyens on some of the century's most formidable art- may not have been ideal, but it certainlyPhilips (416 432-2, four CDs), featuring ists. And plenty more are in the pipeline. sounds good by today's standards. More Jon Vickers in the role of Aeneas. Davis's In short, the good old days-or, at least, important, Furtwangler's pacing is superb entire Berlioz cycle, one of the most signif- what is left of them on record-are back. and his grasp of Wagner's extraordinary icant recording projects of the stereo era, Less than a year ago [see "A Little Less musical architecture absolutely sure; his will be available on CD by the end of 1988; Noise," March], it was still possible to la- at present, titles reissued on CD include ment the seepage-and, in a few instances, La Damnation de Faust (416 395-2, two the flood-of mediocrity into the CD cata- CDs), L'Enfance du Christ (416 949-2, log, while simultaneously bemoaning the two CDs), the Requiem (416 283-2, two absence of key recordings by the likes of CDs), and Beatrice et Benedict (416 952-2, Wilhelm Furtwangler, Arturo Toscanini, two CDs), as well as Les Troyens. The Serge Koussevitzky, Thomas Beecham, sound on these recordings, most of which Herbert von Karajan, George Szell, Istvan date from the late '60s and early '70s, is ex- Kertesz, John Barbirolli, and Jean Mar- cellent, and Philips has provided full notes tinon. It was easy to find almost anything and texts for the operas (omitting, for played or conducted by Vladimir Ashken- unknown reasons, the cast of Les azy, little of it that good-but not a single Troyens). For the Francophile and vocal disc of Van Cliburn or Sergei Rachmani- enthusiast, any of these sets will make a noff (or, for that matter, of William Ka- welcome gift, especially Les Troyens. pell, Wilhelm Kempff, or Geza Anda). Lovers of Puccini's La Boheme are There was Domingo and Pavarotti aplen- faced with a difficult choice between two ty, but no Bjorling; Hermann Baumann splendid accounts of the work, both bril- but no Dennis Brain; the Hagen Quartet Wilhelm Furtwangler's celebrated "7 nstatz und liantly conducted, magically sung, and ex- but no Quartetto Italiano. All that has Isolde" was long overdue in the CD catalog. ceptionally well recorded. The classic changed. It's hard to say whether this is Thomas Beecham performance on Angel because CD pressing capacity has in- conducting transmits the poignancy and EMI (CDCB 47235, two CDs), with Vic- creased dramatically in the past year or be- profound emotion of the score as convinc- toria De Los Angeles and Jussi Bjorling in cause executives at some of the major la- ingly as has ever been managed on record. the lead roles, is one of the most successful bels have taken this long to get their The sound is remarkably good, particular- opera recordings in history and has been a priorities straight. In all likelihood, it has ly in the naturalness of the orchestral bal-treasure of the LP catalog for 30 years. It to do with both, but the inescapable bot- ance. Still, some listeners may object to has stood up fairly well to remastering, tom -line fact is that artists like Maria Cal- what appears to be a subtle rechanneling though careful comparison of the LP and las, Jascha Heifetz, and Fritz Reiner (and, of the loudest passages to create the effect CD versions makes one suspect that there in the pop and jazz fields, John Coltrane, of an enhanced soundstage that, in places has been an unfortunate filtering of the Frank Sinatra, and the Beatles) are help- like the climax of the first -act prelude, high end in order to remove tape hiss. In ing many record stores pay their rent. And verges on a stereo spread. While this may contrast, Herbert von Karajan's 1972 Bo- the suppliers are finally recognizing what unsettle some listeners used to true mono, heme-with Mirella Freni and Luciano the consumer wants and are beginning to others may feel even more drawn into the Pavarotti the leads, backed by the Berlin provide it. experience. In any case, few recordings ofPhilharmonic-sounds better than ever; Late -summer visits to Orpheus Re- any era capture the spirit of a work and re- in fact, it sounds absolutely extraordinary, markable Recordings and J&R Music veal the artistry of great interpreters as and Karajan and the Berlin are at their World in New York, which both cater to consistently as this one does. For the per- best. One of the recent releases in Lon- serious CD buyers, confirmed that a num- fect Wagnerite, this Tristan comes close to don's ADRM series (421049-2, two CDs), ber of important new releases, most of being the perfect gift. it features newly written program notes them reissues, were already on the shelves, On its heels, Angel EMI has releasedand a handsomely produced libretto and is with a great many others expected by the three sets that should bring joy to thea model of how CD reissues ought to be beginning of the holiday buying season. Ifhearts of all who love Strauss's operas. handled. last Christmas was the Christmas of the First is the classic mono Der Rosenkava- Of the major labels, Angel EMI was DECEMBER198 7 67.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Jack Lund Collection ARS.0045
    http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt5w103784 No online items Guide to the Jack Lund Collection ARS.0045 Finding aid prepared by Frank Ferko Archive of Recorded Sound Braun Music Center 541 Lasuen Mall Stanford University Stanford, California, 94305-3076 650-723-9312 [email protected] © 2011 The Board of Trustees of Stanford University. All rights reserved. Guide to the Jack Lund Collection ARS.0045 1 ARS.0045 Descriptive Summary Title: Jack Lund Collection Dates: 1887-2009 Identifier/Call Number: ARS.0045 Creator: Lund, Jack H. Collection size: 5345 items (570.33 linear ft.)Collection of disc recordings, tapes, books, magazines, programs, librettos, printed music and autographed programs and photographs. Repository: Archive of Recorded Sound, Stanford University Libraries Stanford, California 94305-3076 Abstract: The Jack Lund Collection contains personal papers of Jack Lund as well as numerous newspaper and magazine clippings, photographs, and music books. It also contains Lund's collection of classical music on 78 rpm discs, mostly in albums, 33 1/3 rpm long playing discs, and a small number of open reel tapes. The materials in this collection document the principal musical interests of Mr. Lund, i.e. vocal solo music, opera, careers and performances of specific singers and pianists, and the career of Arturo Toscanini. Since Mr. Lund mantained personal friendships with many musicians he admired, he acquired autographed photographs of these artists, and he regularly corresponded with them. The photographs and many of the letters from these musicians are included in the collection. As an avid reader of published articles and books on musical topics, Mr.
    [Show full text]
  • RCA LHMV 1 His Master's Voice 10 Inch Series
    RCA Discography Part 33 - By David Edwards, Mike Callahan, and Patrice Eyries. © 2018 by Mike Callahan RCA LHMV 1 His Master’s Voice 10 Inch Series Another early 1950’s series using the label called “His Master’s Voice” which was the famous Victor trademark of the dog “Nipper” listening to his master’s voice. The label was retired in the mid 50’s. LHMV 1 – Stravinsky The Rite of Spring – Igor Markevitch and the Philharmonia Orchestra [1954] LHMV 2 – Vivaldi Concerto for Oboe and String Orchestra F. VII in F Major/Corelli Concerto grosso Op. 6 No. 4 D Major/Clementi Symphony Op. 18 No. 2 – Renato Zanfini, Renato Fasano and Virtuosi di Roma [195?] LHMV 3 – Violin Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 2 (Bartok) – Yehudi Menuhin, Wilhelm Furtwangler and the Philharmonia Orchestra [1954] LHMV 4 – Beethoven Concerto No. 5 in E Flat Op. 73 Emperor – Edwin Fischer, Wilhelm Furtwangler and the Philharmonia Orchestra [1954] LHMV 5 – Brahms Concerto in D Op. 77 – Gioconda de Vito, Rudolf Schwarz and the Philharmonia Orchestra [1954] LHMV 6 - Schone Mullerin Op. 25 The Maid of the Mill (Schubert) – Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Gerald Moore [1/55] LHMV 7 – Elgar Enigma Variations Op. 36 Wand of Youth Suite No. 1 Op. 1a – Sir Adrian Boult and the London Philharmonic Orchestra [1955] LHMV 8 – Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F/Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D – Harold Jackson, Gareth Morris, Herbert Sutcliffe, Manoug Panikan, Raymond Clark, Gerraint Jones, Edwin Fischer and the Philharmonia Orchestra [1955] LHMV 9 – Beethoven Symphony No. 5 in C Minor Op.
    [Show full text]
  • JOAN SUTHERLAND John Pritchard (1918–89)
    JOAN SUTHERLAND John Pritchard (1918–89). Walthamstow-born, John Pritchard learned his craft as principal conductor of the Derby String Orchestra, before joining the music staff of Glyndebourne in 1947. Appointed Chorus Master in 1949, he was soon sharing major Mozart productions with Fritz Busch, conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra there and swiftly expanding his repertoire. The company’s Musical Director from 1969 to 1977, he was also a regular guest at the Royal Opera, where in 1955 he conducted the premiere of Tippett’s A Midsummer Marriage. His opera and concert work encircled the globe, with periods at the helm of many companies and orchestras, notably the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and BBC Symphony. He was knighted in 1983. Though his full diary could result in perfunctory routine, fiery theatricality and a grasp of essentials inform his best work – not least in many studio and off-air recordings made with his ‘home’, Glyndebourne company, and for BBC radio. Joan Sutherland (1926–2010). The world-renowned soprano Joan Sutherland left her Sydney home for London in 1952, with the ultimate aim of singing Wagner. Contracted to Covent Garden, she felt her future lay in heavy, dramatic roles; and her early assignments there included Amelia in Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera and the title role in Aida. Soon her breathtaking agility, crystalline staccatos and unique stratospheric purity became evident – not least as Jenifer in Tippett’s The Midsummer Marriage, followed swiftly by the doll Olympia in Offenbach’s Les contes d’Hoffmann (both 1955). Although increasingly identified with the bel canto repertoire, until her 1959 Covent Garden triumph in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor she kept her options open.
    [Show full text]
  • ARSC Journal
    SCHUMANN AND BRAHMS: LIEDER ON RECORD, 1901-1952. HMV RLS 1547003, 8 discs. SCHUMANN: Der Nussbaum (Fritz Schrlidter, tenor); Ich grolle nicht (Felia Litvinne, soprano); Ich hab' im Traum geweinet (Nicolai Figner, tenor, in Russian); Er, der Herrlichste von allen (Marie Knilpfer-Egli, sopra­ no); Intermezzo (Lilli Lehmann, soprano); Wanderlied (Willi Birrenkoven, tenor); Die beiden Grenadiere (Vittorio Arimondi, basso, in Italian); Volksliedchen, Der Schatzgraber, Der Soldat (Therese Behr-Schnabel, mezzo-soprano); Die Lotosblume, Du bist wie eine Blume (Giuseppe Borgatti, tenor, in Italian); Die Lotosblume, (Leo Slezak, tenor); Friili­ lingsnacht, Die Rose, die Lilie (Lydia Lipkowska, soprano, in Russian); Ich grolle nicht (Erik Schmedes, tenor); Frauenliebe und -leben (Julia Kulp, contralto); Die beiden Grenadiere (Feodor Chaliapin, basso, in Russian); Widmung (Frieda Hempel, soprano); Wanderlied, Du bist wie eine Blume (Friedrich Schorr, baritone); An den Sonnenschein, Volksliedchen, (Ursula van Diemen, soprano); Unterm Fenster (Lucrezia Bori, soprano; John McCormack, tenor, in English); So wahr die Sonne scheinet (Jo Vincent, soprano, Louis van Tulder, tenor); Die beiden Grenadiere, Lied eines Schmiedes (Sir George Henschel, baritone); In der Fremde (Alice Raveau, contralto, in French); Aus den 8stlichen Rosen (Richard Tauber, tenor); Ich will meine Seele tauchen, Im Rhein, im heiligen Strome (Thom Denijs, baritone); Zum Schluss, Fruhlingsnacht, Wer machte dich so krank?, Alte Laute (Elena Gerhardt, mezzo-soprano); Der Nussbaum, In
    [Show full text]
  • A Collection of Stan Ruttenberg's Reviews of Mahler Recordings From
    A collection of Stan Ruttenberg’s Reviews of Mahler Recordings from the Archives Of the Colorado MahlerFest (Symphonies 3 through 7 and Kindertotenlieder) Colorado MahlerFest XIII Recordings of the Mahler Third Symphony Of the fifty recordings listed in Peter Fülöp’s monumental discography (up to 1955, and many more have been added since then), I review here fifteen at my disposal, leaving out two by Boulez and one by Scherchen as not as worthy as the others. All of these fifteen are recommendable, all with fine points, all with some or more weaknesses. I cannot rank them in any numerical order, but I can say that there are four which I would rather hear more than the others — my desert island choices. I am glad to have the others for their own particular merits. Getting ready for MFest XIII we discovered that the matter of score versions and parts is complex. I use the Dover score, no date but attributed to Universal Edition; my guess this is an early version. The Kalmus edition is copied from who knows which published version. Then there is the “Critical Edition,” prepared by the Mahler Gesellschaft, Vienna. I can find two major discrepancies between the Dover/Universal and the Critical (I) the lack of horns at RN25-5, doubling the string riff and (ii) only two harp glissandi at the middle of RN28, whereas the Critical has three. Our first horn found another. Both the Dover and Critical have the horn doublings, written ff at RN 67, but only a few conductors observe them.
    [Show full text]
  • Decca Discography
    DECCA DISCOGRAPHY >>V VIENNA, Austria, Germany, Hungary, etc. The Vienna Philharmonic was the jewel in Decca’s crown, particularly from 1956 when the engineers adopted the Sofiensaal as their favoured studio. The contract with the orchestra was secured partly by cultivating various chamber ensembles drawn from its membership. Vienna was favoured for symphonic cycles, particularly in the mid-1960s, and for German opera and operetta, including Strausses of all varieties and Solti’s “Ring” (1958-65), as well as Mackerras’s Janá ček (1976-82). Karajan recorded intermittently for Decca with the VPO from 1959-78. But apart from the New Year concerts, resumed in 2008, recording with the VPO ceased in 1998. Outside the capital there were various sessions in Salzburg from 1984-99. Germany was largely left to Decca’s partner Telefunken, though it was so overshadowed by Deutsche Grammophon and EMI Electrola that few of its products were marketed in the UK, with even those soon relegated to a cheap label. It later signed Harnoncourt and eventually became part of the competition, joining Warner Classics in 1990. Decca did venture to Bayreuth in 1951, ’53 and ’55 but wrecking tactics by Walter Legge blocked the release of several recordings for half a century. The Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra’s sessions moved from Geneva to its home town in 1963 and continued there until 1985. The exiled Philharmonia Hungarica recorded in West Germany from 1969-75. There were a few engagements with the Bavarian Radio in Munich from 1977- 82, but the first substantial contract with a German symphony orchestra did not come until 1982.
    [Show full text]
  • Strauss' Four Last Songs
    Richard Strauss: Four Last Songs A discographical survey by Ralph Moore I consider forty-six recordings of the Vier Letzte Lieder here, which is a goodly number, but by no means the total of all of those released in the nearly seventy years since their premiere in 1950. A survey cannot hope – or even want – to encompass every version but I have tried to include the most notable and have deliberately missed out a few which I know to be less than premium quality but have also reviewed one or two in the “caveat emptor” category as best avoided (see also MWI review index). These songs feature frequently in lists of personal nominations for favourite recordings, such as in the BBC radio programme “Desert Island Discs”. They are not a cycle as such, but all deal with the readiness for death and emanate a sense of calm, resignation and even transfiguration; I quote unashamedly from Wikipedia: “Towards the end of Im Abendrot, after the soprano's intonation of ‘Ist dies etwa der Tod?’ (‘Is this perhaps death?’), Strauss musically quotes his own tone poem Death and Transfiguration, written 60 years earlier. As in that piece, the quoted seven-note phrase (known as the ‘transfiguration theme’) has been seen as the fulfilment of the soul through death.” They are amenable to successful performance by a range of soprano voice-types, from the mezzo- tinged soprano falcon of Jessye Norman to the light, lyric sopranos of Lucia Popp or Anneliese Rothenberger, and although one or two sopranos have come a cropper in attempting them, there are many more admirable and even superlative recordings than failures.
    [Show full text]
  • Decca Discography
    DECCA DISCOGRAPHY >>2 GREAT BRITAIN: ffrr, 1944-57 In a business where exclusive contracts were the norm, it was very difficult for a newcomer to become established and Decca’s initial roster of classical artists was unable to compete with established rivals. In March 1932 an agreement with Polydor provided access to a substantial catalogue of German artists and a year later the company virtually abandoned classical recording to concentrate on dance bands. The move to Thames Street Studios provided more scope for orchestral sessions and a bold policy of recording contemporary British music enhanced the label’s reputation. The newly formed Boyd Neel Orchestra was signed up in 1934, followed by the Griller String Quartet in 1935, Clifford Curzon in 1937, Peter Pears in 1944, Kathleen Ferrier in 1946 and Julius Katchen in 1947. War broke the link with Polydor, leaving Decca with a respectable catalogue of chamber music, but little symphonic repertoire. Armed with ffrr technology, the company began to remedy this in 1944, engaging Sidney Beer’s National Symphony Orchestra until 1947 and the misleadingly named New Symphony Orchestra (it had made its first recordings in 1909) from 1948. Neither developed into a house band to rival EMI’s Philharmonia and, with the Royal Philharmonic also exclusive to EMI, Decca had to resort to the LSO and the LPO, both in rather run-down condition in the post-war years. Meanwhile every opportunity was taken to impress visiting continental orchestras with ffrr sessions and it was evident that the company intended to transfer much of its symphonic work to Paris, Amsterdam, Geneva and Vienna as soon as practicable.
    [Show full text]
  • The Blake Collection Click on Item Titles Or in Memory of Nancy M
    (Scroll to the end of this document for an Index to all items. Please note that this Archive contains Live Links: The Blake Collection click on item titles or pictures to go to the In Memory of Nancy M. Blake Library’s catalog, and click on citations to see full articles.) BELLINI’S NORMA featuring CECILIA BARTOLI This tragic opera is set in Roman-occupied, first-century Gaul, features a title character, who although a Druid priestess, is in many ways a modern woman. Norma has secretly taken the Roman proconsul Pollione as her lover and had two children with him. Political and personal crises arise when the locals turn against the occupiers and Pollione turns to a new paramour. Norma “is a role with emotions ranging from haughty and demanding, to desperately passionate, to vengeful and defiant. And the singer must convey all of this while confronting some of the most vocally challenging music ever composed. And if that weren't intimidating enough for any singer, Norma and its composer have become almost synonymous with the specific and notoriously torturous style of opera known as bel canto — literally, ‘beautiful singing’” (“Love Among the Druids: Bellini's Norma,” NPR World of Opera, May 16, 2008). And Bartoli, one of the greatest living opera divas, is up to the challenges the role brings. (New York Public Radio’s WQXR’s “OperaVore” declared that “Bartoli is Fierce and Mercurial in Bellini's Norma,” Marion Lignana Rosenberg, June 09, 2013.) If you’re already a fan of this opera, you’ve no doubt heard a recording spotlighting the great soprano Maria Callas (and we have such a recording, too), but as the notes with the Bartoli recording point out, “The role of Norma was written for Giuditta Pasta, who sang what today’s listeners would consider to be mezzo-soprano roles,” making Bartoli more appropriate than Callas as Norma.
    [Show full text]
  • Wagner, Kirsten Flagstad, Marianne Schech, Set
    Wagner La Walkiria Acto 3 / Todesverkundigung Del Acto 2 mp3, flac, wma DOWNLOAD LINKS (Clickable) Genre: Classical Album: La Walkiria Acto 3 / Todesverkundigung Del Acto 2 Country: Argentina Style: Romantic, Opera MP3 version RAR size: 1725 mb FLAC version RAR size: 1999 mb WMA version RAR size: 1879 mb Rating: 4.7 Votes: 394 Other Formats: MP4 AHX DTS VOC DXD AAC DMF Tracklist Die Walküre - Act 3 A Pt. 1: Hojotoho! Hojotoho! (Ride Of The Valkyries) - Wo Ist Brünnhild? B Pt. 2: Hier Bin Ich, Vater - War Es So Schmählich (Brünnhilde's Bitte) Pt. 3: Deinen Leichten Sinn Lass' Dich Denn Leiten - Leb' Wohl, Du Kühnes, C Herrliches Kind! (Wotan's Farewell And Magic Fire Music) Die Walküre - Act 2 D Siegmund! Sieh' Auf Mich! (Todesverkündigung) Companies, etc. Recorded At – Sofiensaal Mastered At – Decca Studios Manufactured By – Industrias Electricas Y Musicales Odeon S.A.I.C. Distributed By – Industrias Electricas Y Musicales Odeon S.A.I.C. Credits Baritone Vocals [Bass-Baritone, Wotan] – Otto Edelmann (tracks: A to C) Composed By, Libretto By – Richard Wagner Conductor – Georg Solti Contralto Vocals [Rossweisse] – Hetty Plumacher* (tracks: A to C) Contralto Vocals [Schwertleite] – Margaret Bence* (tracks: A to C) Contralto Vocals [Siegrune] – Anny Delorie (tracks: A to C) Engineer [Uncredited] – James Brown Liner Notes [Die Walküre] – John Culshaw Liner Notes [English Translation Of German Libretto] – G. M. Holland* Mastered By [Side B] – K Mastered By [Sides A, C, D] – E Mezzo-soprano Vocals [Waltraude] – Grace Hoffmann* (tracks: A to C)
    [Show full text]
  • Wagner Society of New York a Centennial Tribute to Sir Georg Solti October 17, 2012
    Wagner Society of New York A Centennial Tribute to Sir Georg Solti October 17, 2012 SIR GEORG SOLTI, DAS RHEINGOLD, AND THE STEREO ERA Joe Pearce President, Vocal Record Collectors Society Photo by Allen Warren Sir Georg Solti’s 1958 recording of Das Rheingold is considered to be, even after over a half-century of the most stalwart competition, one of the very greatest operatic recordings ever made. Indeed, for many of us, it has an impor- tance out of all proportion to just its musical and interpretative merits, for it ushered in a new era of operatic record- ing in a way that perhaps neither Sir Georg nor the set’s indefatigable producer, John Culshaw, could possibly have envisioned. To understand its full importance, however, it is first necessary to look at the conditions obtaining for recorded opera in general, and for recorded Wagner in particular, up to the time of its issuance. And in this context we must also briefly examine the tremendous accomplishment of Sir Georg Solti, who not only conducted Das Rheingold but over seven ensuing years made possible the completion of the entire RING project: the first-ever com- plete studio recording of what many consider the greatest artistic masterpiece, musical or otherwise, of the entire 19th century. In a survey of critical opinion published by the BBC Music Magazine (January 2012 issue), the Solti RING was voted “the greatest recording of all time.” Richard Wagner’s music was always a problem for the early recording industry. Unlike, say, Giuseppe Verdi, most of whose operas were easily divided up into arias, duets, trios and the like, (those of a relatively short duration favored by three- to five-minute 78rpm sides), most of Wagner’s scores were through-composed and not easily excerptable.
    [Show full text]
  • Solti's Ring Remastered: Ascent to Valhalla Or Descent Into Nibelheim?
    Solti’s Ring Remastered: Ascent to Valhalla or Descent into Nibelheim? By Michael Sherwin Der Ring des Nibelungen. Soloists; Vienna State Opera Chorus; Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra; Georg Solti, conductor; 1958-1965. (Decca Deluxe Limited Edition 4783702; 19 discs [17 CDs, 1 Blu-ray audio, 1 DVD]) Introduction Decca’s costly, deluxe 2012 reissue of Georg Solti’s Ring has been touted by the company as “its most truthful remastering yet on both CD and lossless Blu-ray.” It was released in the US in November 2012 to celebrate Solti’s 100th anniversary and Wagner’s 200th. Issued in a limited edition of 7,000 numbered copies (copy No. 1 was presented to the conductor’s widow, Valerie Solti), the hefty, LP-sized 14-pound album bears a steep list price of about $300. It comprises four folios: 1. John Culshaw – a copy of his behind-the-scenes book, “Ring Resounding.” 2. The Music – containing 18 discs, including the newly remastered Ring on 14 CDs; Deryck Cooke’s “Introduction to the Ring” on 2 CDs; a CD of Wagner Overtures (Rienzi, Der fliegende Holländer, and Tannhäuser Overture and Bacchanale), plus the chamber orchestra version of Siegfried Idyll and the rarely heard Kinderkatechismus; and a high- resolution Blu-ray audio transfer from the 1997 digital master tape with the entire 14-1/2 hours of the Ring improbably ensconced on a single disc. 3. The Guides – containing “The Golden Ring” (a BBC documentary DVD of the recording sessions); the written text of Cooke’s “Introduction to the Ring” with printed musical examples; marked pages from Solti’s scores; large-format session photos; and vintage reviews, ads, and articles from Gramophone magazine.
    [Show full text]